Donald James Kaple, 87, of Alpharetta, GA, died unexpectedly at his home on November 28, 2017.Don was born on January 27, 1930, in Lima, OH and attended St. John's parish grade school. At age 14, he left home to begin his seminary preparation for priesthood and attended seminaries in Columbus and Cincinnati OH and St. Meinrad’s, IN. He was ordained for ministry on May 31, 1958, for the Glenmary Home Missioners of Cincinnati, and served in parishes in West Virginia, western North Carolina and north Texas for the next 10 years. In 1968, he left the active ministry and moved to GA, where he earned a doctorate in Adult Education from the University of Georgia. He met and married his wife, Marion Keeler, in 1969, in Atlanta.

Don's entire professional life was devoted to teaching, counseling and administration of Adult Basic Education and literacy programs for disadvantaged and disenfranchised adults in Maine, Kansas, Nebraska and Georgia. He retired from this ministry in 1995.

Upon retirement, Don and Marion moved to Jonas Ridge in the Appalachian mountains of NC. There Don pursued his deep interests in prayer, study, writing and caring for God's creation on his own 5 acres of beautiful mountain land. Don was a passionate life-long seeker, and he delighted in sharing his questions, insights and growing understanding of the Incarnational God with others in stimulating discussions and through his monthly blog, “From the Belly of the Whale”. He remained close to his Glenmary community all his life, was an associate member of the Sisters of St. Francis in Rochester, MN and was affiliated with New Creation Monastery in Mount Holly, NC. In recent years, Don and Marion were drawn to a more contemplative life, particularly through Centering Prayer and the daily meditations of Richard Rohr, OFM.

Don will be forever missed by Marion, his wife of 48 years, his daughter Katie Kaple Hummel, her husband Frank, and two daughters, Anna and Claire, of Woodstock, GA, and his son Daniel Keeler Kaple, his wife Franya, and son Colton, of Pittsburgh PA. He is also survived by his sister Mary Ann Deitering, brothers Bob and Paul Kaple and many nieces and nephews, all of the Lima OH area.

A funeral liturgy will be celebrated for Don on Friday, January 5, at 10:00 am at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Alpharetta. A memorial service in OH will be held at a later date. If you wish to honor Don's memory, he would be pleased if you made a donation to Glenmary Home Missioners, the Sisters of St. Francis, Rochester, MN, New Creation Monastery, the Center for Contemplation and Action in Albuquerque, or a charity of your choice.

Let us give thanks that Don has completed his journey to God and may now know the fullness of God's love and peace.